Disability Allowance

Introduction

Disability Allowance is a weekly allowance paid to people with a disability.
You can get Disability Allowance from 16 years of age. If you are in education
when you turn 16, you can continue to attend school.

Budget 2018: the maximum weekly rate of Disability
Allowance will increase by €5, with proportional increases for qualified
adults and those on reduced rates of payment. In addition, the weekly rate for
a qualified child will increase by €2 from €29.80 to €31.80. These
increases will take effect from the week beginning 26 March 2018.

Rules

To qualify for Disability Allowance (DA) you must:

Have an injury, disease or physical or mental disability that has
continued, or may be expected to continue, for at least one year

As a result of this disability be substantially restricted in
undertaking work that would otherwise be suitable for a person of your age,
experience and qualifications

Be aged between 16 and 66. When you reach 66 years of age you no longer
qualify for DA, but you are assessed for a State pension.

Capital, for example, the value of savings, investments, shares or any
property you may have (other than your own home). However, the first
€50,000 of any capital you have is not taken into account. More
information is available in our document about capital
and social welfare payments.

If you are living in premises, part of which is a business and part of which
is used for accommodation, only the proceeds that relate to the part of the
premises that has been used for accommodation are not taken into account.

Income from work

You can do rehabilitative work (which includes self-employment) and earn up
to €120 per week (after deduction of PRSI, any pension contributions and
union dues) without your payment being affected. You notify the Department of
Employment Affairs and Social Protection before you start work.

50% of your earnings between €120 and €350 will not be taken into
account in the Disability Allowance means test. Any earnings over €350 are
fully assessed in the means test.

You should contact us when you take up employment as this may affect your rate of payment of or entitlement to DA. If it turns out that you have to leave your new job within twelve months, all you need to do is contact us at the telephone number below and we will re-instate your payment at its original rate. You will be able to collect your payment the Wednesday of the following week.

Once we have re-instated your payment, we may ask you to send on your P45 or a letter from your former employer, confirming your employment end date. We may also ask if there have been any other changes in your circumstances, to make sure you are getting your correct rate of payment.

Payments for dependants

If you are married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting, you may get an
increase in your payment for your spouse
or partner. You may also get an increase in your payment for dependent
children.

If you have children living with you and you are single, widowed, separated
or a civil partner who is not living with the other civil partner, you may get
an increase in your payment for the person who is caring for your child,
provided the person is aged 16 or over, living with and being supported by you.

€20 per day (up to a maximum of €60) from work is deducted from your
spouse, civil partner or cohabitant's average weekly earnings and then 60% of
the balance is assessed as weekly means. The weekly means is then deducted from
the combined total of your personal rate of Disability Allowance and the
maximum Increase for a Qualified Adult and any Increases for Qualified Children
(if applicable). This formula does not apply to income from self-employment
(all income from self-employment is assessed and there are no disregards).

If you were getting Disability Allowance before 26 September 2007 and you
were still in payment on 26 September 2007, your spouse, civil partner or
cohabitant's earnings will be assessed under the new means assessment to find
out whether you are better off. If you would get a greater amount of Disability
Allowance on the previous assessment then you will continue to be assessed
using the previous method of calculating means from employment.

If your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant's means have changed, for any
reason, since 26 September 2007, you cannot apply the previous method of
calculating means from employment.

Medical assessment

You are required to have your own doctor complete a medical report, which is
part of the application form, on your medical condition. This report is
reviewed by one of the Department’s Medical Assessors.

Rates

From 15 March 2017, the weekly maximum rate of Disability Allowance
is:

Personal rate (claimant)

€193.00

Qualified adult

€128.10

Qualified child

€29.80 (full-rate)

€14.90 (half-rate)

If you are married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting and you both
qualify for Disability Allowance, you will each get a weekly personal rate of
Disability Allowance. If you both qualify, you can both get the maximum rate.

If you or your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant qualifies for Disability
Allowance and the other is getting another social welfare payment, you will
each get the weekly personal rate of your respective payment.